A GOD THAT HIDES HIMSELF I will look for Him "And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth His face from the house of Jacob, and I will LOOK FOR HIM" (Isa 8:17). How it honors God to "look for Him" when He has hidden His face! How appropriate these words are for our generation. We live in a time when sensitivity to God is very low. Swept away by the love of this world, men think nothing of being at a distance from God. The Divine Presence is scarcely known, even in religious circles. --Tomorrow:
"Truly, Thou art a God Who hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior" -- Isaiah 45:15
The Lord does not hide Himself from the godly so He cannot be found. Rather, by this means He awakens a searching heart, which greatly honors Him. I think of His promise to ancient Israel. How it reveals the nature of our God. "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her" (Hosea 2:14). In a sense, difficulty is like a "wilderness" -- a place where spiritual resources seem sparse. It is a place where God seems hidden. If we can see it, such occasions are evidences of the Lord's direction. He is bringing us into a situation where a sense of the need of Divine fellowship is more readily apparent. It is entirely out of order to complain during such times, or suppose that God is against us.
In the midst of his greatest distress, when God had hidden His face from him, Job engaged in a fervent quest for God. He was not content to be "in the dark." In faith he cried out, "Oh that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat! I would present my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments" (Job 23:3-4). He did not seek to plead with men, but with God. He did not long to present his case and present his cause to men, but with God. He was looking for the Lord.
How shall we respond to times like these? Shall we form little conclaves and lament the spiritual sterility of the times, hanging our heads in despair? Sorrow we shall, despair we shall not! We will "look for Him," even though He has hidden Himself from our generation. What is more, He will be found of us, for He has promised, "Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart" (Jer 29:13).
Again, our blessed Lord Jesus Himself promised, "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" (Luke 11:10). Blessed is the person whose trouble occasions a quest for the face of God!
PRAYER POINT: Father, through Jesus Christ, I am thankful You have urged me to seek You, even when it seems to my humanness that You are far away.